KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 3 — Bursa Malaysia finished its morning session today on a lower note, dragged down by profit-taking activity in the mid and small-cap, financial and healthcare indices, among others.

This was on the back of gains recorded at yesterday’s close, with the index advancing 16.1 points or 1.06 per cent to 1,537.5.

At 12.30 pm, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) declined 13.37 points or 0.87 per cent to 1,524.17 from yesterday's close of 1,537.54.

The barometer index opened 3.1 points higher at 1,540.64 and moved between 1,521.73 and 1,544.18 throughout the morning session.

On the scoreboard, market breadth was negative with losers outpacing gainers 651 to 385, while 402 counters were unchanged, 588 untraded and 25 others suspended.

Trading volume stood at 5.09 billion shares worth RM2.85 billion.

An analyst said the local bourse bucked the trend on the regional peers, with shares climbing, driven by sustained recovery in China’s services sector and US positive economic data that pushed the dollar higher.

On the other hand, sharing the same market tone with the Bursa Malaysia today were Hong Kong’s Hang Seng which slipped 0.31 per cent to 25,042.65, Jakarta Composite Index which dropped 0.67 per cent to 5,276.54 and Singapore’s Straits Times index which shed 0.62 per cent to 5,276.54.

However, for the whole of this week, we expect to see the benchmark index climbing higher amid the anticipated solid recovery in the overseas market.

"Investors will be capitalising on the positive global economic data,” he said, adding that technology counters will continue to lead the winners list on the back of the positive outlook, as well as the healthcare sector (pharmaceutical-related stocks).

Of the heavyweights, Maybank fell two sen to RM7.23, Tenaga declined 22 sen to RM11.02, Public Bank erased eight sen to RM16.06, while Top Glove was 13 sen higher at RM8.82.

Among the actives, Pegasus Heights inched down half-a-sen to 3.5 sen, Permaju Industries was 6.5 sen higher at 42 sen and IRIS Corp was 1.5 sen better at 39 sen.

Of the top losers, Nestle declined RM1.60 to RM140.20, Hartalega depreciated 86 sen to RM14.50 and Dutch Lady lost 46 sen to RM39.04.

As for the top gainers, Lysaght Galvanized Steel added 42 sen to RM2.36, Vitrox Corp gained 38 sen to Rm12.88 and Malaysian Pacific Industries rose 32 sen to RM18.82.

On the index board, the FBM Emas Index gave up 89.27 points to 11,085.09, the FBMT 100 Index was 88.85 points weaker at 10,877.65 and the FBM 70 depreciated 95.02 points to 14,728.44.

The FBM Emas Shariah Index weakened 115.31 points to 13,181.99 and the FBM ACE fell 43.14 points to 11,221.91.

Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index gave up 56.80 points to 12,638.72, the Industrial Products and Services Index inched down 0.64 point to 138.50 and the Plantation Index slipped 55.67 points to 7,111.11. — Bernama